The Holy Land

Galilee

What to See

Home of the Holy Family

The region of Galilee was the home of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph & Peter, James, and John. The beauty of the Sea of Galilee opens the scriptures in a new way.

Sea of Galilee

Nazareth

Church of the Annuncation

Cana

The First Miracle of Christ

Mount of the Beatitudes

Mount Tabor

Church of the Transfiguration

Pray with the Saints

Here are some resources to prepare for this pilgrimage:

I have longed to come back to the town of Jesus, to feel once again, in contact with this place, the presence of the woman of whom Saint Augustine wrote: “He chose the mother he had created; he created the mother he had chosen”. Here it is especially easy to understand why all generations call Mary blessed.

Jerusalem

What to See

The Holy City

The Ancient city of Jerusalem is home to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It has been an important destination of pilgrimages for thousands of years.

Ein Karem

Church of the Visitation

Jerusalem

Old City Walls

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Stone of Anointing

Pray with the Saints

Here are some resources to prepare for this pilgrimage:

From this place, where the Resurrection was first made known to the women and then to the Apostles, I urge all the Church’s members to renew their obedience to the Lord’s command to take the Gospel to all the ends of the earth.

#catholicpassportjerusalem

Palestine

What to See

Palestine

A trip to the Holy Land must include Palestine!

Copy of Bethlehem

Church of the Nativity

Pray with the Saints

Here are some resources to prepare for this pilgrimage:

And it was here in Bethlehem that the great promise was fulfilled. For two thousand years, generation after generation of Christians have pronounced the name of Bethlehem with deep emotion and joyful gratitude. Like the shepherds and the wise men, we too have come to find the Child, “wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Lk 2:12). Like so many pilgrims before us, we kneel in wonder and adoration before the ineffable mystery which was accomplished here.

#catholicpassportpalestine

Dead Sea

What to See

The Lowest Place on Earth

Experience the hauntingly beautiful Judaean Desert and the Dead Sea! Despite the starkness of the terrain, this region is rich with history. Read about my trip with the Tantur Ecumenical Institute here.

Qumran, Excavation Site of the Ancient Essene Community and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Pray with the Saints

Here are some resources to prepare for this pilgrimage:

Whether it be the case of the person next to us or of distant peoples and nations, we must be Good Samaritans to all those who suffer. We must be the compassionate “neighbor” of those in need, not only when it is emotionally rewarding or convenient, but also when it is demanding and inconvenient 

#catholicpassportdeadsea

Mount Carmel

What to See

The Beauty of Mount Carmel

Living in imitation of the Old Testament prophet Elijah, hermits have lived and prayed on this mountain for hundreds of years. Maybe it is easier to hear the still small voice of God here in Elijah's cave?

St. Elias Church at the Muhraka Monastery on Mt. Carmel, where the Carmelite Order was founded. By James Emery [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Pray with the Saints

Here are some resources to prepare for this pilgrimage:

In Carmel therefore and in every soul moved by tender affection for the Blessed Virgin and Mother, there has thrived a contemplation of her, who from the beginning knew how to open herself to hearing God’s Word and to obeying his will 